1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dust-collecting devices for collecting dust and debris, such as cutting chips produced during a cutting operation of a cutting device. The present invention also relates to cutting devices having such dust-collecting devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-180713 teaches a known cutting device configured as a table saw and including a dust-collecting device. The dust-collecting device has a guide pipe and a dust-collecting bag. One end of the guide pipe is connected to a blade cover used for covering a circular saw blade of the table saw. The dust-collecting bag is connected to the other end of the guide pipe. A fan is disposed within the guide pipe, so that the air blowing force generated by the fan added to the air blowing force generated by the rotating saw blade may feed cutting chips produced during the cutting operation by the saw blade into the dust-collecting bag. In general, the dust-collecting bag is made of fabric. Therefore, the mesh of the fabric may separate the cutting chips from the air, so that the cutting chips are collected within the dust-collecting bag.
However, during a long time period of use of the dust-collecting device, the mesh of the fabric may become clogged with cutting chips. As a result, the air may be prevented from passing through the dust collection bag. Consequently, the dust-collecting efficiency may be degraded.
In addition, in order to dispose of the cutting chips, it may be necessary to beat or strike the dust-collecting bag in order to dislodge or remove the clogged dust from within the fabric mesh. This may cause the cutting chips to fly through the air. Therefore, it is not possible to sanitarily dispose the cutting chips in a controlled manner.
Further, in order to compensate for the degradation of the collecting efficiency, a fan is required to providing an additional force to the blowing force produced by the rotating saw blade.
Furthermore, the table saw of the above Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-180713 is configured to have a table and a saw unit vertically pivotable relative to the table. The dust-collecting bag is connected to the blade case via a cylindrical tubular mount portion disposed on the rear side of the blade case. U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,778 also teaches the same arrangement.
However, with this arrangement, the dust-collecting bag may extend rearward from the blade case. Therefore, when the saw unit is pivoted downward for a cutting operation, the dust-collecting bag may move upward opposite to the movement of the saw unit, so that the rear end of the dust-collecting bag may extend upward. In addition, after the cutting operation has been finished, the saw unit may be held in the downwardly pivoted position for transportation or for storing at a predetermined place. A table saw with the dust-collecting bag extending upward is difficult to handle. In addition, a storage space having a relatively large height must be ensured for storing the table saw. Such difficulties may be resolved if the dust-collecting bag is removed from the table saw. However, the operation for removing the dust-collecting bag for each occasion of storing the table saw is very troublesome. In addition, the further troublesome operation of disposing the collected cutting chips is required for each occasion of storing the table saw.